TGS - Chapter 83
Chapter 83: After the Judgment
The crowd below suddenly fell silent, as if a pause button had been pressed.
The people looked up. Most of them here were not direct victims; they had gathered more to watch the judgment, just as sparrows, upon seeing one of their own fall from a branch, would hop over to watch the commotion.
But at this moment, the scene before them suddenly felt real.
Many people had escaped the natural disaster, only to die in the camps.
They might not have died. It was the nobles withholding the supplies sent from the royal city that led to their deaths.
Beyond that, some people already held hatred in their eyes. Because of this statement, that hatred erupted like a sudden spark.
It is unknown who was the first to shout: "Behead them!"
"Behead them!"
"Execute them!"
More and more people joined the shouting.
The mighty shouts, carrying the crowd's fury, were punctuated by the faint sound of a little girl's sob: "If they had taken just a little less food, would my mother not have died?"
In front of the Crown Prince, Alyuin picked up the silver gavel.
This was the tool of the chief judge. Before announcing the final verdict, the chief judge would tap it lightly on the table three times, signifying that the judgment was worthy of the goddess of law, did not deceive the people, and was true to oneself.
Alyuin tapped it lightly three times. The position of chief judge had shifted.
Romuer's expression was stunned. He opened his mouth but said nothing.
He had tacitly approved.
The Princess was not surprised. She turned to face the observing crowd, raised her hand, palm down, and slowly pressed it downward.
"Quiet."
The shouting subsided, and the crowd gradually fell silent. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the stage, awaiting the verdict.
Alyuin looked down at the crowd and said calmly, "According to the law, Fenlieni and the others shall be put to death."
The Lord's face turned ashen in an instant. He stared fixedly at the Princess. "My elder brother—"
The tremendous roar that followed drowned out the rest of his sentence. Cheers erupted from the crowd, long and unceasing.
Alyuin casually placed the gavel back on the table, right in front of Romuer. The latter did not look up, merely staring at the exquisite hammer.
Only after the cheers from below had subsided did the Princess continue, "The executions will take place in the royal city. The specific time will be decided by the relevant officials in Akhet."
"Although it will be far from your sight, I guarantee the sentences will be carried out smoothly. None of them will return alive to exact revenge upon you."
"Can we really trust that?" someone shouted. "I can't rest easy without seeing them executed with my own eyes!"
From the sound of the voice, it seemed to be the same person who had first shouted for their execution.
Alyuin raised her hand, her fingertips brushing past the upward-slanting corner of her eye.
She pointed to her own eyes, her words as light as a whisper, yet heavier than a mountain.
"I will watch for you with these eyes."
Until it is done. Until I have confirmed that the sinners' heads have fallen.
Everyone's gaze focused on those eyes. Under the clear sky, their pure gold color was brighter than the sun's halo—magnificent, brilliant, and utterly convincing.
"We are willing to believe you."
One after another, they bowed their heads, saluting with an unfamiliar yet sincere reverence.
The condemned nobles could no longer contain their emotions. They wailed in despair and blamed one another—the only two things they could do now.
Ignoring the lamentations behind her, Alyuin raised her head slightly, looking toward a spot behind the crowd and a little higher up.
It was empty, but the Princess felt that if Lotus were present, she would be standing there.
In your name, I have brought this judgment to a close.
So, are you watching?
Alyuin's gaze remained fixed on that empty space. The corners of her lips curved, revealing a relaxed smile for the first time in two days.
At the end of the Princess's line of sight, Lotus stood in her spiritual form.
Throughout the entire judgment, she had barely moved from her spot.
Observing was a state Lotus was very accustomed to.
Often, in public, unless she had something to do, Lotus would always watch the Princess in silence, whether in her spiritual or physical form.
Perhaps it was a habit left over from the time she had to float by Alyuin's side as a spirit, or perhaps it was simply because it was the most suitable way.
This time was no exception. Along with the crowd nearby who could not see her, Lotus gazed at the Princess's eyes from afar, her expression gentle.
But in a certain moment, as if a human had suddenly seen a light too dazzling, she narrowed her eyes slightly, the corners of her lips lifting into a small curve.
How dazzling.
The goddess sighed in admiration.
But the next second, Alyuin looked toward her position, her eyes shining with a different light than before, as if she had transformed from a majestic, brilliant sun into melting honey.
The Princess only ever showed that kind of expression to Lotus.
Lotus smiled knowingly. Just as she was about to wave gently, she suddenly remembered—
She was a spirit right now.
Her delight almost turned to shock. Lotus froze for two seconds, then moved aside with a deadpan expression.
Sure enough, the Princess's gaze didn't shift; it remained fixed on the spot where she had just been standing.
Lotus: "..."
Such an accurate guess.
After all, they had spent a long time together. It wasn't just that she understood Alyuin; Alyuin was also coming to understand her in her own way.
Was this a good thing?
It should be.
Lotus lowered her eyes. After a long moment, a soft, unheard laugh escaped her lips.
After the judgment, the caravan stayed in Disimeng City for several days.
With the Lord's fall, the city's order naturally fell into chaos for a time. A capable official immediately stepped up, taking on the Lord's duties temporarily after gaining the approval of the Princess and the Crown Prince.
Although things were frantic, the situation was gradually improving.
The aftershocks of the earthquake had ceased. The official waited two days to confirm that it was safe.
Thus, the first group of disaster victims returned to their repaired homes. Fixed relief-grain distribution points were set up throughout the city. People filled their stomachs and cleared the rubble.
New buildings would be rebuilt upon the ruins, and naturally, they would be taller and more spacious than the old residences.
At the same time, more urgent tasks awaited everyone.
For example, preventing the spread of post-disaster plagues, restoring the farmlands, and repairing and reinforcing the great levee damaged in the earthquake. This last task had to be completed before the Yilu River's high-water season next year, otherwise the people would have no choice but to leave the region to escape the raging river waters that would break through the dam.
By then, the flooding would not only endanger Disimeng City; it was not just a local matter.
Therefore, the royal city would also allocate special funds and gather labor, striving to repair the levee in the shortest possible time.
Inside the main hall of the Lord's manor.
"This is our current plan. What do Your Highnesses think?"
The official acting as Lord presented two sheets of papyrus covered in writing, waiting anxiously for a response.
The two Highnesses he spoke of were, of course, Alyuin and Romuer.
Before, the plan would have only needed the Crown Prince's review. But since the judgment, no one in the city dared to underestimate the Princess's presence, and they even subconsciously favored her opinion.
Everyone had their own measure of things.
Even if they didn't show it, they had more or less made their own calculations in private.
As for things like status and convention, Disimeng had been so grievously wounded it was barely hanging on. Who would care about such things?
Besides, when it came to status, the Princess was the only direct descendant of the royal family in this generation. If the former king hadn't died so early...
The official lowered his head and sighed to himself.
Just then, Alyuin put down the papers.
"The plan is well-made. I have no other comments."
Romuer was a step behind. "...Neither do I."
The official was relieved. "That's wonderful. Thank you, Your Highnesses. I will give the orders immediately."
After bowing, the official departed in a hurry.
The hall was empty, leaving only the two royals of this generation and their respective personal guards.
Alyuin stood up from the high-backed chair and gave a perfunctory bow. "I'll be leaving now."
Anyone could tell it was mere superficial politeness.
Romuer looked up. "Please wait, Alyuin."
The Princess paused. "What do you want to say?"
"Regarding the disaster relief this time, I made a grave error. Not only did I fail in my duty to provide aid, but the judgment of the corrupt officials... If there is a next time, I will not hesitate."
"A decent reflection," Alyuin commented dismissively. "However, there's no need to report to me."
Romuer: "I wasn't—"
"What about that aide who colluded with Fenlieni?" Alyuin asked suddenly.
The Crown Prince was taken aback. After a moment, he replied, "Gelai was given to me by my father. I've had my guards watch him. When we return to Akhet, I will hand him over to my father to decide his fate."
Alyuin: "..."
So, isn't that still hesitation?
She resolved not to speak with Romuer any further and strode quickly out of the hall.
The fur-lined cloak draped down, swaying gently behind her, as crisp and dashing as a cape.
In the garden of the Lord's manor, Lotus sat on a stone bench, waiting for the Princess to emerge.
Not far away, several lavishly dressed men and women were walking by with a little girl, their expressions quite sorrowful.
These people were the relatives of one of the nobles involved in the corruption. After the earthquake, they had been sent to a safe city and had not experienced a single day of life in the camps.
Upon hearing that the nobles had been sentenced to death, they had rushed back to visit the condemned, who was temporarily imprisoned in the Lord's manor. Otherwise, they might not have had a final chance to see him.
Just then, Alyuin's figure appeared at the inner doorway of the manor.
Before Lotus could stand and approach, the noble's relatives spotted the Princess. They glanced in her direction but didn't dare to come closer.
But they must have whispered something among themselves, because the little girl who had been sheltered in their midst suddenly broke free from the adults' embrace and ran toward the Princess.
Her eyes were red from crying, her expression a mixture of sorrow and ferocity. She shouted at Alyuin:
"You're a bad person! Did you hurt my father? Why did you hurt my father?"
Alyuin lowered her gaze and glanced at her coolly.
A woman who looked to be her mother turned pale with fright. She hurried forward to cover her daughter's mouth. "I'm sorry, Your Highness! She's talking nonsense, she didn't mean to offend you!"
Lotus frowned and stood up.
Alyuin's gaze swept over, and upon seeing her, her expression paused, then gradually softened.
The Princess raised a hand.
The noblewoman gasped, quickly pulling her daughter into her arms protectively.
But Alyuin had no intention of touching anything. She raised her hand and gestured to a height similar to the girl before her.
"My teacher told me she saw a little girl begging for a small piece of bread, just to give it to her mother to eat."
"However, her mother is gone now, because of what your father and his kind did."
"Can you understand?"
The noble girl's expression was blank, but her mother bit her lip.
Alyuin walked past the noble's relatives and went straight to Lotus.
Lotus naturally fell into step beside her.
"You still remember."
"How could I forget what you told me?"
The noble girl's loud sobs came from behind them.
Hearing the sound, Lotus murmured, "I thought you would be a little angry."
"I didn't have time. The moment I saw you, I couldn't be angry anymore. Besides, that girl doesn't understand anything." Alyuin sighed. "In comparison, I was much more sensible when I was a child."
Lotus couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Yes, you were the most sensible."
Alyuin, however, suddenly remembered something, and her expression stiffened.
Seeing the Princess stop in her tracks, Lotus asked, "What's wrong?"
Alyuin said nonchalantly, "Nothing. I just think a different word would be more appropriate. For example, 'composed and reliable'."
Lotus: "..."
If she remembered correctly, the Princess was the one who brought up the word "sensible" first, wasn't she?
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